Great win at Lords

An article by Tamsin Holmes (V 20-22)

Yesterday was a pretty special day! 🏏

I had the absolute privilege of being Lead Coach of the U15 Girls North team in The North vs. South exhibition match which was specifically created to give the competition’s most talented individual performers outside of the main Barclays Stokes-Knight Cup finals (played on the main ground the same day) the once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to showcase their skills at the Home of Cricket, played on the Nursery Ground at Lord’s.

I was invited along with the MCC by Andy Hibbert and I honestly had the best time.One of the biggest challenges — and one I really enjoyed as a coach — was arriving without knowing any of the girls in my team. With such a short time to work with them, I had to quickly understand their strengths, identify their roles and build a team that could gel as a unit.
From managing the bowling resources and ensuring every bowler had the opportunity to contribute with at least two overs, subbing the extra fielders, to making sure both wicketkeepers had time behind the stumps, there was a lot to balance while still keeping the team focused and enjoying their cricket. Seeing the girls settle into their roles, support each other and grow in confidence throughout the game was one of the most rewarding parts of the day.

And they delivered! 🏆 The North came away with the win, with some brilliant cricket on display from the 24 best girls from all of the schools that entered — around 1100 schools entered teams into the first year of the BKSC!

After the game, we had lunch in the Players’ Dining Room before being treated to a tour of Lord’s, including the museum and famous Long Room. A pretty surreal way to finish an already incredible day!
A huge thank you to the Marylebone Cricket Club and Andy for inviting me and giving me the opportunity to be part of such a special event.

Days like this are a great reminder of why I love coaching — the challenge of bringing together a group of individuals, understanding what each player can offer, creating a positive team environment and helping them perform together.
One I certainly won’t forget! 🤍🏏